Pivoting light assemblies are commonly used for outdoor lighting where varying inclinations of the light source are desired to produce directional or aesthetic effects. One highly popular pivoting light assembly uses a line voltage floodlight, such as parabolic aluminized reflector units designated PAR 30 or PAR 38 lamps. The floodlight is connected to a surface or ground mounted brackets at a pivotal connection that allows user to direct the illumination at select inclinations.
The outdoor location presents severe operating conditions. Moisture in the form of rain and snow can enter the lamp housing causing electrical and potential safety problems. The prevalent entry paths are at the between the light and the housing and at the rear along the power cord port. Accordingly, use in wet locations and inclined inclination in raised positions are not recommended. Moreover, dirt and grime can enter the unit and corrode the bulb connections, making removal the lamp difficult, possibly resulting in fracture of the glass envelope. Further, receiving desired approvals for the desired outdoor uses, particularly units having metallic housings mounted on walls, from recognized sources such Underwriters Laboratories is not possible unless the unit is completely weatherproofed.
While various sealing arrangements have been proposed for the wide range of light assemblies, none adequately addresses the particular needs of the outdoor pivoting light assemblies using the PAR lamp configurations. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,667,296 and 5,718,504 disclose outdoor Christmas lights having gaskets for sealing the bulbs. The gaskets have chamfered inner surfaces having substantial surface engage the bulb envelopes. While effective with smaller generally conical surfaces, the eccentricities in assembling the socket to the housing in outdoor PAR bulbs could create gaps in the sealing interface resulting in leakage and potential electrical shocks. Similar drawbacks could occur with the floodlight gasket disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,916 to Williams wherein a surface to surface contact is effected with the neck of the bulb. Moreover, during installation or removal of the bulb, substantial torque is developed at the sealing interface that can dislodge the gasket and create present or subsequent leakage paths. Additional leakage problems can occur at power cord. In plastic molded units, an effective cord seal may be obtained. For metal units, the normal clearance between the cord inlet hole and the cord can create leakage paths to the interior electrical connections, also posing potential safety risks.